Werewolves Are Human
by omnomnivore
Summary: Fenrir Greyback is on the prowl during the full moon and finds Harry Potter. He bites him and then rescues him. NO slash.


A/N: This is for sick-atxxheart on the Drabble Request Thread. I think I used all of the promts in a unique way! I also think that this is the longest drabble ever! heeheehee!

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The scent of a human child was getting closer and the wolf sucked in the smell, relishing it. He heard the panting of the child and moved towards the sound. The child squeaked and Fenrir prowled towards the sound to frighten the child even more. He was rewarded with a scream as he stuck his nose around one of the trees. Fenrir saw a scrawny boy with a shock of black hair. He had round glasses taped together and clothes that fell off his body.

Fenrir took one step closer and saw a sudden change in the boy. He didn't scamper away, but he straightened himself and stared at Fenrir in defiance. Fenrir looked at the boy quizzically before lunging. He didn't maul the boy like he did with most of his victims; he just bit him and left. The boy probably wouldn't make it through the night, but he would come back at first light and see if the boy was still there.

---

Harry Potter had run away from his abusive aunt and uncle and was sleeping on the ground of a forest he had stumbled upon. He was having a restless sleep when he heard a shuffling and sniffing and Harry squeaked and then threw his hands over his mouth before standing up and leaning against the tree he was using as shelter. He felt the gnarled bark push into his back as he tried to make himself as invisible as possible. He then saw a snout and flashing, yellow eyes peek around his tree. Harry let out a scream as the wolf-thing moved around the tree. As the wolf took a step forward, Harry squared his shoulders and looked at the wolf as if he were daring it to eat him. The wolf's head turned sideways before it lunged for him. The wolf clamped it slobbering jaws around his shoulder and bit down, Harry heard something snap before he passed out. The wolf then let go and ran into the dark.

---

Fenrir Greyback had just changed from his wolf form back into his human one and was weary with exhaustion. Normally, Fenrir would have found a nice bed to rest in, but he needed to check for the boy. He ran back to the woods he had prowled the night before and sniffed to catch his trail. Fenrir was infuriated by the uselessness of the human senses and had to search for an unbearable amount of time before finding the boy. He was still breathing, but shallowly. The boy was coated in his own blood and he was clammy and cold to the touch.

Fenrir scooped the boy in his arms and grimaced. The boy reeked of rotten food and his weight suggested abuse or a life of the streets. Fenrir was living his own nightmare, his only nightmare, with the boy in his arms.

Fenrir remembered being beaten by the boys who ruled the street gang he belonged to. He remembered smelling of the sewers, wearing stolen clothes that hung off his skeletal frame. He remembered the day he ran into the feared wood near the town he survived in and how he stayed there that night. He remembered hearing sniffling and remembered being attacked by a werewolf. He remembers quiet words, a soft bed, and food like he'd never eaten. He remembers being taught how to control himself and he remembers his first transformation at the tender age of eight.

He looks down at the boy in his arms and is shocked by the emerald green eyes staring back at him. He hears the boy mumble something, but he doesn't understand it.

"Sir? Who are you?" the boy asks in a tiny voice that sounds as if it's only been used once before.

"I'm Fenrir. I'm your new friend." Fenrir says and he's shocked by the truth in his own words.

"You… you won't hurt me?" the boy asks timidly.

"I already have, but I promise to never hurt you again. What is your name?" Fenrir asks in his barking voice.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter." The boy answers obediently. Fenrir is so shocked by these words that he almost drops the boy. He looks at the boy's forehead and, sure enough, there's the lightning bolt scar. He quickly recovers though and takes the boy to his nearby safe house.

He puts the boy in his extra bedroom and goes about making steak on the undercooked side for himself and a light meal of toast and oatmeal for Harry. He brings the food to the room and Harry's eyes light up as he places a plate in front of the boy.

"Is… is this for me?" Harry asks in wonderment.

"Yes, but eat slowly so you don't get sick." Fenrir says, but he knows the boy will ignore him and will have to learn the hard way that you can't stuff food down your throat after barely eating anything for months on end.

---

Harry had been staying with Fenrir for three weeks now and had learned his about his heritage and why he didn't have parents. He also learned about the wizarding world. Fenrir had made sure to not leave anything out and had even let the boy question him about everything involving wizards. The boy was to be turning 11 soon and Fenrir expected a letter from Hogwarts any day. He didn't know what to do about that problem, but he'd deal with it when it came. Fenrir was more worried about the coming full moon. He didn't know how to explain to Harry what he was, what Fenrir had made him.

"Fenrir?" Harry questioned from the other side of the library.

"Yes, Harry?" Fenrir responded as he moved to Harry's side.

"Is this a picture of a werewolf?" Harry asked as he pointed to a moving photo in the book he was reading.

"It is." Fenrir answered again.

"I think one bit me before you got me." Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"You were bit by me. I bit you the night before I took you from the forest." Fenrir stated in shame; for the first time he regretted biting a child.

"That… that was you that night?" Harry questioned in shock and anger.

"Do you remember one of the first things I said to you? I said 'I already have, but I promise to never hurt you again.' I meant it." Fenrir defended himself and tried to help the boy in front of him understand.

"I believed you then and I believe you now." Harry promised as he looked straight at me without any anger.

"The full moon is in four days time. There is nothing I can do to prepare you for that first time, but I will be by your side and I will help you to control yourself." Fenrir promised.

"How do you control yourself? How do you stop yourself from attacking other people?" Harry asked in his tiny, fearful voice.

"You need to remember everything about being a human. That's the only way to control yourself." Fenrir said before he turned and left the room.

---

Harry went to his room, but couldn't fall asleep. He kept looking out at the almost full moon and wondered what would happen the night he transformed.

---

It was the morning after Harry's transformation and he was bleeding from many self-inflicted wounds. Fenrir aided the unconscious boy and left him in his bed to relax. He then went to his room to find an owl fluttering at the window. He let the owl in and untied the letter. The owl took off as soon as his duty was done.

Fenrir turned the letter in his overly large hands and read

"Mr. H. Potter,

The Guest Bedroom,

Fenrir Greyback's Home,

The Forest of Dean"

Fenrir opened the envelope and pulled out three pieces of parchment. The first letter was one to explain to Harry what Hogwarts was, the second was Harry's school list and the third was addressed to Fenrir.

Fenrir's hands shook as he read through the letter. Dumbledore would be accepting Harry to school as a werewolf. Dumbledore also would be giving custody of Harry to his godfather who had been proved innocent and released from Azkaban. Dumbledore also thanked Fenrir and then asked him to get Harry his supplies before taking him to King's Cross Station on September first.

Fenrir was beyond shocked at the contents of the letter. He couldn't believe that Dumbledore had known and that he would let Fenrir keep Harry until he left for Hogwarts. Fenrir set the letter down and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

When Fenrir awoke, it was to the smell of steak and bacon and eggs. He walked to the kitchen and found Harry making breakfast with a very concentrated look on his face. Fenrir sat at their rickety table and waited for Harry to finish. The boy plated the food and brought it over to the table. They shoved down their food in silence and then washed the dishes before heading to the library.

Fenrir let Harry sit in his favorite chair before he got the boy's attention. "Harry!"

"Fenrir?" Harry asks.

"You have been invited to Hogwarts. We'll be getting your supplies on your birthday and then I'll drop you off at King's Cross station where you will board the Hogwarts Express. I will no longer be taking care of you after I drop you off. Your godfather, Sirius Black, was proven innocent and he will be your guardian from then on. I do apologize for that. Here is your letter from Hogwarts." Fenrir explained before leaving. He heard Harry's protests, but he did his best to ignore the boy as he went back to his room and fell back asleep.

---

It was Harry's birthday and Fenrir was accompanying him to Diagon Alley. They went through Harry's list and bought everything except his wand. They went to Ollivander and were surprised when Harry's wand was the brother to the Dark Lord's wand. Fenrir then bought Harry lunch and brought him to the Owl shop.

As a gift to Harry, Fenrir said "Pick any owl you want."

Harry beamed at him and looked at owl after owl before picking out an Eagle Owl. The owl was grey with streaks of black through its feathers. When the owl looked at you, all you saw was piercing orange eyes.

"I'm never going to see you again, am I?" Harry asks fearfully.

"I don't think so. I never want you to forget me or the time we spent together. I will always be looking out for you, Harry, but you will never see me again." Fenrir says what he fears will be one of last things he ever says to the boy.

"I'm going to name him Fenrir, then." Harry said as he gestures to his new owl.


End file.
